JUST six horses stood their ground for today’s Coral-Eclipse.

While it would have been really good to see White Birch in the line-up, and Anmaat and Almaqam, and even Stanhope Gardens, who was fastest of all the Derby runners from the four-furlong marker to the furlong pole, it is still an intriguing renewal.

It’s still the clash of the generations, the first time that you get to truly gauge the strength of the classic generation of middle-distance horses, pit them against the best of the elders, that you always hope that the Eclipse facilitates.

Ombudsman was beaten by Almaqam in the Brigadier Gerard Stakes over today’s course and distance at the end of May, but he stepped forward from that last time when he beat Anmaat in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes at Royal Ascot.

The Gosdens’ horse was very good at Ascot. He was well back in the field early on, he was short of room at the two-furlong marker, and he had to check again on the run to the furlong pole, conceding first run, as he had to then, to the Champion Stakes winner. But he showed a sparking turn of foot at the furlong marker, and he came away from his rivals to win impressively.

That took the Godolphin colt’s record to five from six. Four for four last season as a three-year-old, his only defeat to date is in that Brigadier Gerard Stakes, when he conceded race fitness and 3lb and first run to a potentially top-class rival in Almaqam. We don’t know how good he could be.

Quick turnaround

But he is short, and the Prince of Wales’s Stakes was only two and a half weeks ago.

The Prince of Wales’s Stakes horses who go on to the Eclipse often have seven days more than that. It’s a quick turnaround this year, Ombudsman had to have had a hard race at Ascot in a race in which they went breakneck from early.

There was a similarly short gap between Royal Ascot and the Eclipse last year, and only one horse ran in both races, Hans Andersen, who finished ninth at Royal Ascot and fifth in the Eclipse. It’s a significant enough worry to allow you to look beyond the favourite at the price.

Sosie is interesting. It is great that he is making the trip, he brings the Gallic dimension. He won the Prix Ganay over 10 and a half furlongs on his debut this season, and he won the Prix d’Ispahan last time over nine and a half but, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and the Prix Niel last season, and fourth in the Arc, it may be that a mile and a half is his absolute optimum.

Ruling Court has to bounce back now from his defeat in the St James’s Palace Stakes and, while the Guineas winner could improve for the step up to 10 furlongs, it is not insignificant that William Buick has chosen to stay with Ombudsman, having got off the Dewhurst winner Shadow Of Light to ride Ruling Court in the Guineas.

Hotazhell shouldn’t be discounted despite his exaggerated odds, Jessica Harrington’s horse ran a fine race in the Irish Guineas on his seasonal return, and he should be better with that run under his belt, but he would surely prefer conditions to be softer than they are going to be.

Big players

That leaves the two Ballydoyle colts Delacroix and Camille Pissarro, and both are big players. Aidan O’Brien has produced the Eclipse winner eight times, more times than any other trainer, and six of his winners were three-year-olds.

It is obviously significant that Ryan Moore has chosen to ride Delacroix as, not only is that an obvious indicator of the rider’s thoughts on their relative merits, but it also means that the Dubawi colt will have the non inconsiderable assistance of Moore around Sandown’s subtleties.

Winner of the Ballysax Stakes and the Cashel Palace Hotel Derby Trial, you can easily argue that the 10-furlong trip of the Eclipse is more Delacroix’s thing than the 12 furlongs of the Derby, but he does have to bounce back from an abject performance in the Derby if he is going to win the Eclipse, and only one horse has done that this decade.

Camille Pissarro has a really nice profile for the Eclipse. Winner of the Group 1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last October, when he had Field Of Gold behind him in fourth place, the Wootton Bassett colt finished a close-up third in the French 2000 Guineas in May, and he stepped up on that last time when he stepped up to 10 and a half furlongs for the Prix du Jockey Club.

He was impressive in winning that day, he showed a fine turn of foot when he got the gap on the far side to quicken up and hit the front 150 metres out, going on to win by a half a length from Cualificar, who had won his previous three.

Back in fourth in the Prix du Jockey Club was Camille Pissarro’s stable companion Trinity College, who ran out an impressive winner of the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot next time.

Camille Pissarro is progressive, each of his last three runs has been a career-best up to that point, and there is every chance that he can step forward again now today.

It is not a positive that Ryan Moore is not riding him, of course, but Christophe Soumillon is obviously a top-class rider, he rode Camille Pissarro in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and in the French Guineas, and he rode Vadeni to win the Eclipse three years ago. And the market may have over-reacted to the riding arrangements.

Coral Distaff

Cajole has plenty to find on official ratings in the Coral Distaff earlier in the day, but she could go close. She did really well to finish second in the Sandringham at Royal Ascot. Drawn on the far side in stall six, she moved to her left early on in order to race with the near-side group which, in hindsight, didn’t help her chance.

She gave away ground by moving to her left, and two of the four horses who raced on the far side finished first and third. Cajole actually moved to her right again late on to join them. She covered a lot of ground. She did well to finish second.

That was only her fourth run, and it was only her second on turf. She should progress from that, she should be on the cusp of listed class, and Ryan Moore rides her for the first time.

As long as she has recovered from her Ascot exertions, she could run a big race, and that imponderable is factored into her odds.

Recommended:

Cajole, 3.00 Sandown, 11/2 (generally), 1 point win

Camille Pissarro, 3.35 Sandown, 8/1 (generally), 1 point win